Brassiere



J. R. BOWEN Sept. 20, 1938.

'BRASSIERE Filed May 10, 1937 \NVENTOR a w N o R h A p Patented Sept. 20, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BRASSIERE Application May 10, 1937, Serial No. 141,701

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a brassiere. Brassieres are primarily intended to hold the breasts firmly in upright position, to lend attractiveness to the female figure. They are in some instances "5 also intended to aid the development of the breasts. For these purposes, it is customary to provide cups for the breasts, at the front of the garment, intended to encompass the breasts firmly. The garment is usually fastened at the rear,

'10 as by separable fasteners attached to the rear meeting edges.

It has been proposed to fashion such a garment to provide a substantially vertical band extending over the apex of the breast cup, the

15 shoulder strap forming substantially an extension of this band. A band of this character, however, has a tendency to wrinkle or crease at the apex, when any holding force is applied in an upward direction, and at that point, to draw inwardly 20 against the breast tip or nipple. This causes the nipple to be flattened, and often completely depressed into the surrounding breast tissue. Such a result is of course very undesirable. In addition, wrinkles also appear along the band.

25 Since the overgarment or dress is intended to display the contour of the breasts, and since this depression reduces the desirable breast contour, the intended function of the brassiere is at least partially nullified.

30 It is one of the objects of this invention to obviate this difliculty; and especially by providing a brassiere that, although it uses a suificiently thin band over the cup apex to permit it to lie close to the breast of the user, resists this fiat- 35 tening-out efiect.

The brassiere has furthermore smoother lines and the outer garment properly attractively displays the breast contour.

This invention possesses many other advan- 4 tages, and has other objects which may be made more easily apparent from a consideration of several embodiments of the invention. For this purpose there are shown a few forms in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the 45 present specification. These forms will now be described in detail, illustrating the general principles of the invention; but it is to be understood that this detailed description is not to be taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of the in- 50 vention is best defined by the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a front view of a brassiere incorporating the invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary enlarged view neighboring the apex portion of one of the cups; and

Figs. 3, 4 and are views similar to Fig. 2, but of modified forms of the invention.

The brassiere is shown in this instance as having a body encircling portion I. This portion may be made up of three parts. The central part 5 2 and the two side parts 3 and 4 together serve to define a pair of concave upper edges 5 and 6 positioned in correspondence with the breasts of the wearer. The elements 2, 3 and 4 may be made of comparatively strong material or of 10 doubled or single fabric, appropriately fastened together as by stitching. The central portion 2 rises between the concavities to lie between the breasts of the wearer.

This body encircling portion I is shown in this instance as capable of being joined at the back of the wearer. For this purpose elastic strips, such as l and 8 are provided respectively at the sides 9 and Ill of the body portion; and these elastic strips are shown as fastened to the tabs II and I2, which may be provided with detachable fasteners, such as hooks and eyes.

Disposed within the concave edges 5 and B are a pair of breast cup structures I3 and I4. Since both of these structures are similar, but one need be described in detail. Each of the breast cup structures, such as I3, is shown as being stitched or otherwise attached at its lower edge, to the concave edge 5. It is made up of three main parts: the two side portions I5 and I6, and an intervening substantially vertical band I'l. This band is adapted to overlie the apex of the breast cups.-

In order to form the cups properly, it is preferred to provide one or more tucks, such as I8, near the lower portion of the member I6.

The central band I1 is shown as having a flared bottom and as having its upper edge forming an anchor or attaching means for the shoulder strap I9. This shoulder strap I9 may be adjustable 40 if desired. Its other end is adapted to be attached to the upper edge of the side portion 9.

The band 'I'l is preferably formed of a single layer of readily conformable material, such as silk, satin, or the like capable of closely over- 4-5 lying the apex of the breasts. However, without further provision, it is apt to be pulled flat over the tip or nipple of the breast; due to the holding force applied to the band by the shoulder straps.

It has been found that a slight reenforcement in the apex region elfectively prevents any wrinkling or flattening of the band at the nipple region. Such reenforcement is readily obtained by dividing the central band I? into two parts, and joining them by a transverse seam, such as 20, neighboring the apex portion. This seam 20 is shown as oblique, in the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. However, the same function is obtained if the transverse seam is straight across, as illustrated at 2| in Fig. 3. It may even be in the form of a circle 22, as illustrated in Fig. 4; or semi-circular or arched, as at 23 (Fig. 5).

The seams, such as 20, 2|, 22 and 23 are shown as being formed by a line of stitching. The edges 24 and 25 of the joined portions may be folded down away from the seal 20.

In use the transverse seam such as 20, prevents any tendency of band I! to flatten at the apex of the cups. Instead, the nipple is given ample clearance space so that it may retain the intended and desirable knob-like contour. No flattening force is imposed upon the breast. The outergarment, conforming .closely to the breast con' tour, attractively displays the figure of the wearer.

What is claimed is:

1. In a brassiere, a pair of breast cups, each of said cups being formed with a substantially vertical band of thin material passing over the apex of the cup, there being a transverse seam across the band and neighboring the apex of the cup.

2. In a brassiere, a body encircling portion, a pair of breast cups, each of said cups fastened to said portion being formed with a substantially vertical band of a single layer of conformable material passing over the apex of the cup, there being a transverse seam across the band and neighboring the apex of the cup, and the lower edge of said band being attached to the body encircling portion.

3. In a brassire, a pair of breast cups, each of said cups being formed with a substantially vertical band of thin material passing over the apex of the cup, there being an oblique seam across the band and neighboring the apex of the cup.

4. In a brassiere, a pair of breast cups, each of said cups being formed with a substantially vertical band of thin material passing over the apex of the cup, there being an arched seam across the band and neighboring the apex of the cup.

5. In a brassire, a body encircling band having a pair of concave upper edges corresponding in position to the breasts, there being an upwardly directed portion intermediate the concave edges to be accommodated between the breasts'of a wearer, and fabric breast cups respectively joined to the concave edges, each of said cups having a substantially vertical central band passing over the apex of the cup and formed of a single layer of conformable material, there being a transverse seam across the band and neighboring the apex of the cup.

JOSEPH R. BOWEN. 

